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Friday 16 April 2021 (Update #205)
 Tomorrow we will say a sad, final farewell to His Royal Highness Prince Philip, The Duke of Edinburgh, the nation’s longest serving consort.
The Duke’s passing last week sent a shiver through the nation. Although we knew he was not in good health, we assumed that he would always be there, at the side of Her Majesty The Queen, as the patriarch of the Royal Family.
In this last year we have, during this pandemic, come face to face with the fragility of our own mortality, as well as sadly, in some cases, the loss of loved ones, and close colleagues.
Tonight, I will be attending a Service of Thanksgiving for Prince Philip at St. Edward The Confessor Church in Romford.
The Prince (pictured courtesy of Havering Libraries - Local Studies) and The Queen attended a reception there for over a hundred people representing local groups and voluntary associations, as part of their visit to the borough in March 2003.
Some of you will remember that visit fondly, I know councillors who still talk about the momentous occasion, and the great sense of pride felt by so many.
You can watch the Service of Thanksgiving and join in the commemorations online. The service wil be streamed live starting at 7.30pm tonight.
The Prince's funeral will take place at 3pm tomorrow (Saturday, 17 April) at St George’s Chapel, Windsor.
The nation's minute's silence will be held the same time as the funeral is set to start at 3pm.
If you want to contact me directly, you can email me. However, please be patient as there may be a delay in getting back to you due to the volume of messages I am receiving.
Please stay safe.
Cllr Damian White
Leader, Havering Council
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Memories and messages are being left by residents from across the borough in our online Book of Condolence.
You can read the moving tributes to Prince Philip and support for The Queen and Royal family, or leave your own message in the book, on our website.
The Duke of Edinburgh's funeral will take place at 3pm tomorrow, Saturday, 17 April, at St George’s Chapel, Windsor.
It will be a Ceremonial Royal Funeral and will comply with COVID-19 restrictions.
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If you are aged 45 or over you can book your COVID-19 vaccination now.
Also, if you are in one of these categories and haven't received a vaccination yet, you should also now book an appointment by calling 119 or booking online:
- You are at high risk from COVID-19
- You are an eligible frontline health or social care worker
- You have a condition that puts you at higher risk
- You have a learning disability
- You are a main carer for someone at high risk from COVID-19.
Take up of the vaccine is how we will get things back to normal and will protect you, your friends and your family.
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Figures released today (Friday) by the Government show that Havering continues to outclass most other London boroughs offering nearly 89 per cent of pupils their first choice of primary school place.
This compares to a London average of 87 per cent.
The Council comes within the top ten of the rankings in London, with almost 97 per cent of children due to start primary school this September being offered a place at one of their top three preferred schools.
In London, families who have applied will receive their child’s school place offer via email or text during the evening of National Offer Day, Friday 16 April.
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Havering Council is providing free parking to help support our high streets and town centres.
Parking fees in all Council car parks and on-street parking bays are suspended until, and including, 9 May 2021.
(To avoid any doubt this does not include residence permit parking where the usual restrictions will continue to apply).
This month of free parking is in addition to the free parking on Sundays already in place, which will continue after 9 May.
The Council also provides a Havering Heroes parking permit for NHS and other key workers. This permit has been extended until 21 June 2021.
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 One in three people with COVID-19 do not show any symptoms.
As more and more people return to work, regular, twice-weekly rapid testing is now open to everyone in Havering to help make sure you're not passing on COVID-19 without knowing.
You can access asymptomatic twice-weekly testing by attending a test site to get tested, see how to take the test, or pick up tests to do at home.
You can collect home test kits without an appointment from any of Havering's Local Testing Sites, but do check opening times on our website before travelling.
Alternatively, you can order a test kit online.
You should still use testing even if you have had one or both doses of the COVID-19 vaccination.
Have symptoms?
Of course, it also remains vitally important to book a test if you have COVID-19 symptoms. There is information on booking procedures, and opening hours for all our local testing locations on our website.
Have you seen the news about the surge testing that’s taking place in other London boroughs such as Redbridge, Wandsworth and Lambeth to help combat variants of COVID-19?
To help protect us as we come out of lockdown, Havering Council are recruiting reserve volunteers to help with our surge testing response, should a new variant be found in Havering.
The main roles will include delivering letters to houses and staffing information points to help residents.
Being a surge volunteer means you are part of a bank of volunteers, ready to respond as soon as possible should surge testing be needed in Havering.
If you would like to join this volunteer team and be a vital part of Havering’s response to protect our residents, please register. We’ll then send you a short form to complete so we know your availability.
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The forecast of sunny weather over the weeknd means that Havering's parks will be busy.
Despite the relaxation in the lockdown rules, you should still follow social distancing guidelines when walking or jogging on pathways.
Even if you have had one or two doses of the COVID-19 vaccine you can still pass on coronavirus, or get ill yourself, as no vaccines are 100 per cent effective.
Please use bins for any masks, gloves or empty sanitiser bottles. Littering not only spoils the experience of our parks for others, but is damaging to the environment and a danger to wildlife.
If you buy food or drink from any of the takeaway kiosks or cafes in our parks, please maintain social distancing while queueing, and walk away as soon as you have collected it.
COVID Marshals will be regularly patrolling our parks to make sure that coronavirus lockdown rules and park byelaws are followed.
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If you are in need of orange sacks for your home recycling, they are available at all libraries with the exceptions of Elm Park, Harold Wood, and Collier Row libraries where the buildings are being used as COVID-19 rapid testing sites.
The sacks will be available during the hours that the libraries are open.
Check our website for opening times before travelling to a library.
A roll of 16 orange sacks is delivered to every Havering household once every 13 weeks. You can also recycle lots of items at recycling and bottle banks.
Remember, you can fit more in your orange sacks if you crush down plastic bottles and tins before you put them in. Rinsing them out with water first also helps with recycling and means that you can keep the sacks longer without them starting to smell.
You can also recycle cardboard without needing to put it in an orange sack.
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Advertorial
 19 - 25 April is Real Nappy Week.
Apply for a free sample pack and for more information.
Join the virtual real cloth nappy chat on Tuesday 20 April at 10:30am.
Email Debbie Lee for your invite.
Business students at New City College Havering raised £400 when they organised a fun event for charity.
The students, all studying the Introduction to Business Level 1 Diploma at the Ardleigh Green campus, in Hornchurch, made hampers and cards and ran raffles and competitions.
They have donated the money raised to the Hope 4 Havering charity which is a collective of local churches, businesses and individuals working to end homelessness in the borough.
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If you haven't yet completed Census 2021, there's still time to do so.
Government officials cannot see your census information. Any information published by the census is anonymous.
Taking part will not affect anything like your benefit claims, immigration status or your taxes.
If you have any questions, or concerns about Census 2021, please call 0800 141 2021.
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Western Road in Romford is closed at its junction with Mercury Gardens for sewer connection works. A diversion route via Mercury Gardens, Main Road, and Junction Road will be in operation until the expected completion date of 23 April.
Road resurfacing work is being carried out in Shepherds Hill, Harold Wood. The road will be closed to through traffic with diversions in place between 9.30am and 3pm until Wednesday 21 April.
Resurfacing work is planned for Warley Street in Upminster. This work will begin on 21 April and is due to be completed on 24 April.
Resurfacing work is also planned for Hog Hill Road in Romford. The work there begins on Monday 26 April.
Lastly, Squirrels Heath Lane in Hornchurch will be resurfaced with work starting at 7.30pm on 30 April. All work will take place overnight. Later, towards the end of May, a special surface designed to prevent skidding and improve safety will be laid on the approaches to the Zebra crossings by Elvet Avenue and Ashlyn Grove, and on the approaches to the Brentwood Road mini roundabout.
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Due to Network Rail undertaking engineering work in connection with the Barking Riverside Project, c2c train services will not run this Sunday (18 April) between Upminster and Grays via Rainham.
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